NAIL ART

POLISH

NEWS

Happy New Year! I had four solid days off and made so much progress on my house. It felt good to get some work done. I'm not the only one who's been busy! Zoya has announced not one, but two new upcoming collections. Naturel Satins is a transitional collection of six neutral colors in a low-sheen finish. And the Zoya Delights Collection includes three cremes and three "flash metallics" in fun, airy shades that are perfect for Spring.

So today I have a hybrid pretty nail art/informational post. A few readers have asked if I knew the difference between Zoya's PixieDust releases and honestly, I didn't...not technically, at least. There are three so far: Classic PixieDust, Ultra PixieDust, and Magical PixieDust. Since I had a simple look using the Zoya Wishes Collection ready to post, I thought I'd reach out to Zoya for some PixieDust lowdown. First, the nail art. Keep reading for the deets on all things PixieDust.

Zoya Wishes Collection

Zoya Wishes is the 2014 Holiday/Winter Collection. It includes six polishes, three of which are Classic PixieDust. I haven't seen a PixieDust gradient and wanted to give it a go. It worked! I used Thea, a deep purple, on four fingers and created the gradient using Thea and Nori, a royal blue, as an accent.

I started the gradient using a sponge, but it wasn't laying the jelly base down densely enough (it was just depositing the glitter). So I did the gradient a little differently than normal. I actually used the polish brushes and roughly painted half the nail with each color. After it dried, I then used the sponge to fade the two colors.

It was super easy and I love the blue and purple together. As with all PixieDust applications, I skipped the topcoat. Isn't it fun? I love how it catches the light.

The Zoya Wishes Collection is available now. Regular polishes retail for $9.00 each (US) and the PixieDust shades are $10.00 each. They can be purchased at Zoya.com, select stores and spas and in ULTA beauty stores (not online). Zoya offers frequent promotions, so be sure to follow their Facebook and Instagram to get the scoop!

More About Zoya PixieDust

Zoya PixieDust is a special edition polish that creates a matte, textured, glittery finish when applied without topcoat. The classic PixieDust formula was first announced in late 2012 for a January 2013 release. Since then, Zoya has debuted two more varieties as part of other collections and special trios. Zoya's Creative Director, Rebecca Isa, was kind enough to explain the differences between the three PixieDust formulas:

"Zoya Classic PixieDust uses three different micro particles‎ to achieve a fine, yet multi-dimensional finish. Two of the particles are a proprietary blend that we developed and they are also the particles that are responsible for the extra-long wear. The Zoya Magical PixieDust formula uses the classical PixieDust base plus an addition of a small and large holographic particle. Zoya Ultra PixieDust uses the classic PixieDust base plus small and large tone on tone particles to achieve a slightly edgier look."

To date, 27 30 PixieDusts have been released. All are still available on the Zoya site. (Note: As of this posting, if you do a search by color and choose the PixieDust finish, only 24 of the colors appear. The Magical PixieDusts are on the site, you'll just have to hunt for them.) The graphic below shows the polishes in order of release date [click to enlarge]. I'm a huge fan of these polishes, especially the later releases. I must say my all time fave is Cosmo. The finish is like diamonds encrusted on your nails! So perfect for a party.

PixieDust Retirement

I heard that the PixieDust polishes were being discontinued, but Zoya reps clarified that they are simply being retired. There was no pigment, formulation, or source issues at all. Rather as special edition polishes, their day has come. However, Zoya hinted that PixieDusts may be re-released at any time and new colors just might pop-up in the future! As much as I like these polishes, I think it's a great idea to retire them for now and continue the finish in special releases. It makes them extra special!